Mwanzo 30
1 Raheli alipoona kwamba hamzalii Yakobo watoto, Raheli akamwonea wivu dada yake. Akamwambia Yakobo, “Nipe watoto, sivyo nitakufa.”
Then Rachel, discerning that she was infertile, envied her sister, and so she said to her husband, “Give me children, otherwise I will die.”
2 Hasira ya Yakobo ikawaka juu ya Raheli. Akasema, “Mimi ni badala ya Mungu, aliyekuzuilia usipate watoto?
Jacob, being angry, responded to her, “Am I in the place of God, who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb?”
3 Akasema, “Tazama, kuna mjakazi wangu Bilha. Lala naye, hivyo aweze kuzaa watoto magotini pangu, nami nitapata watoto kwake.
But she said: “I have a handmaid Bilhah. Go in to her, so that she may give birth upon my knees, and I may have sons by her.”
4 Hivyo akampa Bilha mjakazi kama mke wake, na Yakobo akalala naye.
And she gave him Bilhah in marriage.
5 Bilha akashika mimba na kumzalia Yakobo mwana.
And when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son.
6 Kisha Raheli akasema, “Mungu ameamua kwa faida yangu. Ameyasikiliza maombi yangu na kunipa mwana.” Kwa sababu hiyo akamwita jina lake Dani
And Rachel said, “The Lord has judged for me, and he has heeded my voice, giving me a son.” And because of this, she called his name Dan.
7 Bilha, mjakazi wa Raheli, akashika mimba tena na kumzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
And conceiving again, Bilhah bore another,
8 Raheli akasema, “Kwa mashindano yenye nguvu nimeshindana na dada yangu na kushinda.” Akamwita jina lake Naftali.
about whom Rachel said, “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Naphtali.
9 Lea alipoona kwamba ameacha kuzaa, akamchukua Zilpa, mjakazi wake, na kumpa Yakobo kama mke wake.
Leah, perceiving that she had desisted from child-bearing, delivered Zilpah, her handmaid, to her husband.
10 Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana.
And she, after having borne a son with difficulty,
11 Lea akasema, “Hii ni bahati njema!” Hivyo akamwita jina lake Gadi.
said: “Happiness!” And for this reason, she called his name Gad.
12 Kisha Zilpa, mjakazi wa Lea, akamzalia Yakobo mwana wa pili.
Likewise, Zilpah bore another.
13 Lea akasema, “Nina furaha! Kwa maana mabinti wataniita furaha.” Hivyo akamwita jina lake Asheri.
And Leah said, “This one is for my happiness. Indeed, women will call me blessed.” Because of this, she called him Asher.
14 Siku za mavuno ya ngano Rubeni akaenda shambani na kuona tunguja. Akazileta kwa mama yake. Kisha Raheli akamwambia Lea, “Nipe baadhi ya tunguja za mwanao.”
Then Reuben, going out into the field at the time of the wheat harvest, found mandrakes. These he brought to his mother Leah. And Rachel said, “Give me a portion of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Lea akamwambia, “Je ni jambo dogo kwako, kumchukua mme wangu? Je na sasa unataka kuchukua tunguja za mwanangu pia? Raheli akasema, “Kisha atalala nawe leo usiku, kwa kubadilishana na tunguja za mwanao.
She responded, “Does it seem like such a small matter to you, that you have usurped from me my husband, unless you will also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel said, “He will sleep with you this night because of your son’s mandrakes.”
16 Jioni Yakobo akaja kutoka uwandani. Lea akaenda kumlaki na kusema, “Leo usiku utalala nami, kwani nimekuajiri kwa tunguja za mwanangu.” Hivyo Yakobo akalala na Lea usiku huo.
And when Jacob returned from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and she said, “You will enter to me, because I have hired you for the reward of my son’s mandrakes.” And he slept with her that night.
17 Mungu akamsikia Lea, na akashika mimba na kumzalia Yakobo mwana wa tano.
And God heard her prayers. And she conceived and bore a fifth son.
18 Lea akasema, “Mungu amenipa ujira wangu, kwa sababu nilimpa mme wangu mjakazi wangu.” Akamwita jina lake Isakari.
And she said, “God has given a reward to me, because I gave my handmaid to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.
19 Lea akashika mimba tena na kuzaa mwana wa tano kwa Yakobo.
Conceiving again, Leah bore a sixth son.
20 Lea akasema, “Mungu amenipa zawadi njema. Sasa mme wangu ataniheshimu, kwa sababu nimemzalia wana sita.” Akamwita jina lake Zabuloni.
And she said: “God has endowed me with a good dowry. And now, at this turn, my husband will be with me, because I have conceived six sons for him.” And therefore she called his name Zebulun.
21 Baadaye akazaa binti na kumwita jina lake Dina.
After him, she bore a daughter, named Dinah.
22 Mungu akamkumbuka Raheli na kumsikiliza. Akampa kushika mimba.
The Lord, likewise remembering Rachel, heeded her and opened her womb.
23 Akashika mimba na kuzaa mwana. Akasema, “Mungu ameiondoa aibu yangu.”
And she conceived and bore a son, saying, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24 Akamwita jina lake Yusufu, akisema, Yahwe ameniongeza mwana mwingine.”
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The Lord has added to me another son.”
25 Baada ya Raheli kumzaa Yusufu, Yakobo akamwambia Labani, “Niache niande, ili kwamba niende nyumbani kwetu na katika nchi yangu.
But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.
26 Nipe wake zangu na watoto wangu niliokutumikia kwa ajili yao, na uniache niondoke, kwani unafahamu nilivyokutumikia.
Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”
27 Labani akamwambia, “Ikiwa nimepata kibali machoni pako, subiri, kwa sababu nimejifunza kwa kutumia uaguzi kwamba Yahwe amenibariki kwa ajili yako.”
Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.
28 Kisha akasema, “Taja ujira wako, nami nitalipa.”
Choose your wages, which I will give you.”
29 Yakobo akamwambia, “Unajua nilivyokutumikia, na jinsi ambavyo mifugo wako wamekuwa nami.
But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.
30 Kwani walikuwa wachache kabla sijaja, na wameongezeka kwa wingi. Popote nilipokutumikia Mungu amekubariki. Je ni lini mimi nitaandaa kwa ajili ya nyumba yangu pia?”
You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at some time I also should provide for my own house.”
31 Hivyo Labani akasema, “Je nikulipe nini? Yakobo akasema, 'Usinipe chochote. Ikiwa utafanya jambo hili kwa ajili yangu, nitawalisha tena kondoo wako na kuwatunza.
And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.
32 Niache nipite kati ya kundi lako lote leo, kwa kuondoa kila kondoo mwenye milia na mabaka, na kila kondoo mweusi kati yao, na kati ya wenye mabaka na milia katika mbuzi. Hawa watakuwa ujira wangu.
Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.
33 Uadilifu wangu utashuhudia kwa ajili yangu hapo baadaye, utakapokuja kuangalia ujira wangu. Kila ambaye hana milia na hana madoa miongoni mwa mbuzi, na mweusi kati ya kondoo, ikiwa wataonekana kwangu, watahesabiwa kuwa wameibwa.”
And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.”
34 Labani akasema, “Nakubali. Na iwe kama yalivyo maneno yako.”
And Laban said, “I hold favor for this request.”
35 Siku hiyo Labani akaondoa mabeberu yaliyokuwa na milia na madoa, na majike ya mbuzi yaliyokuwa na milia na madoa, kila aliyekuwa mweupe, na weusi wote katika mbuzi, akawakabidhi katika mikono ya wanaye.
And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.
36 Pia Labani akaweka safari ya siku tatu kati yake na Yakobo. Hivyo Yakobo akabaki kuchunga wale kondoo wa Labani waliosalia.
And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.
37 Yakobo akachukua matawi mabichi yaliyokatwa ya mipopla, mlozi na mwaramoni mbichi akatoa maganda ili michilizi myeupe ionekane, na akaifanya sehemu nyeupe ya ndani ya mti iliyokuwa ndani ya fito ionekane.
Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.
38 Kisha akaziweka fito alizokuwa amezibambua mbele ya makundi ya kondoo, mbele ya mabirika yakunyweshea walipokuja kunywa maji. Wakashika mimba walipokuja kunywa maji.
And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.
39 Wanyama wakapandana mbele ya fito; nao wakazaa watoto wenye milia, mabaka na wenye madoa.
And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.
40 Yakobo akawatenga hawa wanakondoo, lakini akawafanya waliosalia kuelekea wanyama wenye milia na kondoo weusi wote katika kundi la Labani. Kisha akayatenga makundi yake mwenyewe pekee na hakuwaweka pamoja na wale wa Labani.
And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.
41 Pindi kondoo wenye nguvu katika kundi walipopandana, Yakobo alilaza fito katika mabirika ya maji mbele ya macho ya kundi, ili kwamba washike mimba kati ya fito.
Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.
42 Lakini wakati waliodhaifu walipokuja, hakuweka fito mbele yao. Hivyo wanyama dhaifu wakawa wa Labani, na wenye nguvu wakawa wa Yakobo.
Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.
43 Mtu huyo akastawi sana. Akawa na kundi kubwa la kondoo, wajakazi na wajoli, ngamia na punda.
And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.
